LONG BEACH >> City officials are seeking injunctions that would prevent the city of Los Angeles and BNSF Railway Co. from moving forward on a $500 million rail yard project they say is detrimental to West Long Beach residents.

In a lawsuit filed late Wednesday, Long Beach leaders are also asking the courts to “vacate and set aside” Los Angeles’ leaders recent approvals of the Southern California International Gateway project, also known as SCIG, and its environmental impact report, which Long Beach says does not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act.

“As (proponents of the project) concede, the negative effects of the railyard Project will be borne almost entirely by the residents of West Long Beach,” according to the lawsuit, adding that the project’s impact on the health of nearby schools and homes “is expected to be devastating.”

Rather than deal with the problem, Los Angeles leaders and BNSF in their environmental review “downplayed the issue, ignoring the comments of the City of Long Beach numerous regulatory authorities, environmental organizations and members of the public,” according to the lawsuit.

BNSF defended the project Wednesday, saying that SCIG “will improve air quality for residents living closest to the facility, as well as the millions of people living along the 710 freeway and throughout the region.”

“The lawsuit contains numerous inaccurate statements and assertions,” the company said in a statement. “Despite the City of Long Beach’s and other organizations’ claims, the fact is that SCIG actually reduces health risk for area residents, especially those in West Long Beach. If the SCIG project is not built, air pollution and traffic in adjacent neighborhoods will actually be worse. After eight years of study, the in-depth environmental review of this project demonstrates that continuation of the existing trucking operations will not reduce pollution the way SCIG can.”

The company added that the data in the final EIR “clearly shows that diesel particulate matter at Long Beach sensitive receptors like schools, parks and clinics east of the Terminal Island Freeway will be significantly decreased.”

Long Beach filed suit after several informal talks with the city of Los Angeles and BNSF Railway fell apart.

Eight years in the making, the project would enable trucks to put containers on trains closer to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, rather than having trucks travel 24 miles away to the BNSF Hobart Yard.

If built, the SCIG facility would be able to handle up to 2.8 million container units from the ports, according to the Port of Los Angeles.

But a lawsuit could delay progress on SCIG, which is expected to be in operation by 2016, officials said.

Business leaders and other supporters say the project will create jobs, feature green technology, keep ports competitive and eliminate millions of truck trips along the 710 Freeway.

But opponents argue that the project would aggravate health and traffic issues that already exist in West Long Beach and Wilmington. The project is in proximity of several schools, day care centers and parks, including the Villages at Cabrillo, which offers transitional housing for homeless veterans, families and children.

Long Beach officials were especially concerned about the lack of zero emission trucks to transport cargo and a buffer zone separating industrial uses from neighborhoods and the dislocation of four companies with more 1,500 employees.

“As these businesses stated repeatedly in comments regarding the project, it is not likely that they will all be able to find suitable replacement property in the area; as a result, the region may entirely lose these companies and the services and employment they provide,” according to the lawsuit.

BNSF said the company has committed more than $100 million to green technologies for the project, redesigned the entrance to the facility away from neighborhoods and agreed to limit truck travel to designated industrial routes, tracked with GPS.

BNSF also agreed to donate up to $3 million to help the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles to continue developing zero-emissions trucks or other zero-emissions cargo movement technologies.

BNSF also said that its goal is to transition displaced businesses in a way that would help preserve those jobs and has offered moving cost assistance, a year’s notice and a rent subsidy.

“We are confident that when the court hears this case that it will find the City of Los Angeles acted appropriately in certifying the Final Environmental Impact Report and approving the SCIG project,” BNSF spokeswoman Lena Kent said.